A systematic review of randomised controlled trials assessing effectiveness of prosthetic and orthotic interventions.

BACKGROUND: Assistive products are items which allow older people and people with disabilities to be able to live a healthy, productive and dignified life. It has been estimated that approximately 1.5% of the world's population need a prosthesis or orthosis. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to systematically identify and review the evidence from randomized controlled trials assessing effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of prosthetic and orthotic interventions. METHODS: Literature searches, completed in September 2015, were carried out in fourteen databases between years 1995 and 2015. The search results were independently screened by two reviewers. For the purpose of this manuscript, only randomized controlled trials which examined interventions using orthotic or prosthetic devices were selected for data extraction and synthesis. RESULTS: A total of 342 randomised controlled trials were identified (319 English language and 23 non-English language). Only 4 of these randomised controlled trials examined prosthetic interventions and the rest examined orthotic interventions. These orthotic interventions were categorised based on the medical conditions/injuries of the participants. From these studies, this review focused on the medical condition/injuries with the highest number of randomised controlled trials (osteoarthritis, fracture, stroke, carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, anterior cruciate ligament, diabetic foot, rheumatoid and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ankle sprain, cerebral palsy, lateral epicondylitis and low back pain). The included articles were assessed for risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Details of the clinical population examined, the type of orthotic/prosthetic intervention, the comparator/s and the outcome measures were extracted. Effect sizes and odds ratios were calculated for all outcome measures, where possible. CONCLUSIONS: At present, for prosthetic and orthotic interventions, the scientific literature does not provide sufficient high quality research to allow strong conclusions on their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness

Optical pH sensor based on spectral response of newly synthesized Schiff bases

In most of the common designs, pH optodes rely on weak acidic dyes whose dissociated and undissociated forms have different absorption or emission maximums. In this work the newly synthesized Schiff bases; NAP-bis(4-diaminobenzyliden)-1,2-cyclohexandiamine [I], NAP-bis(4-diaminobenzyliden)-1,2-ethanediamine [II] and 2,6-bis[(4-dimethylaminophenylimino)ethyl]pyridine [III], have been used for pH sensing in four different plasticized PVC matrices. The Schiff bases exhibited absorption and emission based optical responses to protons in the pH range of 3.0-7.8, and, therefore, can be used as an optical pH sensor for near neutral region of pH scale. The absorption and emission spectra were recorded by preparing thin films on a Mylar polyester support. Responses of the sensor slides were fully reversible within the dynamic range and the response time was approximately 3 min under batch conditions. All of the compositions exhibited a significant absorption based response to pH in immobilized form. Throughout spectroscopic studies, relative signal change of 79% has been achieved for sensor dye (1). In contrast to the weak emission peaks of (I) and (II), the sensor dye (III) exhibited a significant emission based response and is evaluated in a different category. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved